Crystal River current., 1887-01-22
rAE wAsA,NeroN MoNuMENT.

the WASHINGTON MONUMENT.
The Passenger Elevator Soon To BE
Completed-vandal Of
sight-seers.
The passenger elevator of the WASH
ington monument is in position, and
will be completed and in readiness to
carry passengers to the five hundred
foot level. when congress shall author
ize such use to be made of it. It will
be some time yet before the monument
is entirely completed, for it is necessa-
ry to imprvoe the present somewhat
unsightly surroundings by forming q
mound about the base. which will af-
ford gradual; though irregular as
cent to the floor of the monument.
This work can not be commenced for a
month yet. as it contemplates the fill
ing of Babcock lake, and this is not to
be done until after the fish are all re-
moved. Preliminary steps are being
taken, however, and nearly all the
frame buildings surrounding the mon
umcnt, which were sold the other day,
are now being removed. All the re-
naming hoisting apparatus. tools, ma
terials, etc. were also disposed of at
the sale, SO that there may be clear
field for entering at once upon the
proposed work when the proper time
arrives. In the meantime the monu-
ment is still open to the public. who
are still permitted to work their pas
sage to the top afoot, and they will
probably be accorded the privilege un-
til congress makes some provision for
running the elevator for their conven-
ience. There is a watchman at the
monument day and night. Three men
compose the regular watch force, and
each one is on duty eight consecutive
hours. In addition, man, as stated,
is stationed at the five -hundred-foot lev
el during the day, when visitors are ad-
mitted. Notwithstanding all the pre-
cautions that are taken, the monument
has not escaped the vandalism of the
sight-seer. Names have been scribled
on the walls, and the memorial stones
have been smoked by candles held too
close and have been ruthlessly Clipped
by relic-hunters.
Since the 1st of April. when the iron
stairway that ascends the shaft was
completed and visitors admitted. 10. 800
passes have been issued to applicants.
OF these only two hundred were not
used, and therefore did not find their
way back to the monument Office show
ing that visitors very generally avail
ed themselves of the opportunity to
make close inspection of the monu-
ment, even if they did not tramp to
the five-hundred foot level. The ascent
of the monument is quite an under
taking. and many visitors who have
gone to the trouble to secure passes are
after glance up the dark shaft brings
q realization of the task before them.
1t takes, generally. about an hour for
persons who are not in a hurry to
make the round trip. This gives
twenty or twenty-five minutes for the
ascent, ample time to enjoy the
magnificent view from the windows at
the 500 foot level. and twenty minutes
10 decend. During the past seven
months the monument has been visited
by people of every nationality. When
strangers come to Washington they
feel that they have not done the proper
thing until they have assembled the
highest structure in the world. The
more difficult the task or the more
obstacles in their way, the more
anxious they are to accomplish it; so
that very few 60 away without viewing
Washington from the monument
windows. The residents of Washing
ton who have made the ascent are
comparatively few. In almost every
instance where they have made it they
accompanied some friends on visit.
Upon inquiry it was learned that of the
ten thousand odd applicants for passes
not one has made an adverse criticism
upon the structure. In nearly every
instance they have something to say
about it, and have been unanimous in
praising its simplicity. grace. and
grandeur just as it stands. Washing
ton Cor. Louisville Couricr-Journal.
How the Child Told the Story.
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